First published in The Reign of Mary, Issue #92

The Miraculous Medal

By Rev. Fr. Dominic Radecki, CMRI

The priests, Brothers, and Sisters of the Congregation of Mary immaculate Queen (CMRI) have long been greatly devoted to the Miraculous Medal, making constant use of it in their religious habit. This devotion has spread to the Third Order laity, many of whom have adopted its use as well. The author of this article hopes to deepen your understanding of the Miraculous Medal; may its message of hope strengthen your confidence in the Ever Virgin Mother of God. The use of medals as devotional objects dates from the early days of Christianity. Religious medals were useful in instructing converts in the Faith and inculcating Christian devotion. Perhaps, too, they were permitted to counteract the pagan custom of wearing amulets or charms about the neck.

During the sixteenth century, religious medals became even more of a popular devotion. All classes of people used medals representing saints, shrines, and Christian symbols. The papal jubilee medal, struck in 1475, was distributed to the pilgrims of Rome and carried to all parts of the world. Medals were also struck as a protection from plague and pestilence. Some medals were engraved with figures of St. Sebastian and St. Roch for protection, while others bore images of various shrines of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Around the figures were often inscribed various symbolic letters, similar to those depicted on the St. Benedict medal. They represented prayers for deliverance from pestilence through the power of the Cross or through the invocation of the saint represented.

It must be remembered that religious medals are not good luck charms. They are sacramentals approved and blessed by the Church. The Baltimore Catechism teaches: “Sacramentals are holy things or actions of which the Church makes use to obtain for us from God, through her intercession, spiritual and temporal favors… The sacramentals obtain favors from God through the prayers of the Church offered for those who make use of them and through the devotion they inspire.” Countless spiritual and temporal favors have been obtained for those who use or wear religious medals in a spirit of faith. These miracles are an unmistakable sign of God’s approval.

After the crucifix and the Brown Scapular, the Miraculous Medal is likely the most popular sacramental worn by Catholics. Along with the Rosary and the Brown Scapular, it shares the special distinction of having been designed by Heaven itself. In 1830, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared three times to St. Catherine Laboure, a 24-year-old novice of the Daughters of Charity in Paris, France. Our Lady revealed to her the model of a medal which she ordered to be struck, promising great graces to those who should wear it: “A medal must be struck upon this model; those who wear it when it is blessed, and repeat this prayer with devotion, will be in a special manner under the protection of the Mother of God.” Originally known as the medal of the Immaculate Conception, it came to be called the Miraculous Medal as devotion to it spread world-wide, bringing about wonderful spiritual and physical cures. Several Popes endowed it with many indulgences.

The Miraculous Medal is rich in symbolism. On the front side of the medal the Blessed Virgin stands on a half-globe. This symbolizes her royal power over the world, over nations, and over every soul. The luminous rays streaming from her hands represent the graces which Our Lady obtains for those who ask them. She is shown crushing the head of the serpent. This image portrays the enmity between Our Lady and Satan, between good and evil.

Surrounding Our Lady’s image is the invocation, “O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee!” It is striking, too, that this explicit declaration of the Immaculate Conception preceded the solemn declaration of this dogma by Pope Pius IX in 1854. It was Heaven’s stamp of approval, and it would be re-echoed in 1858 at Lourdes, when the Lady of the Apparitions declared to St. Bernadette, “I am the Immaculate Conception.”

The reverse side of the medal is outlined with twelve stars representing Our Lady’s twelve privileges. They also symbolize the twelve Apostles, and they remind us that Our Blessed Mother is the Queen of Apostles. In the center the monogram of Mary (the letter “M”) is surmounted by a cross, having a bar at its base. The “M” represents Mary, our Mother and Mediatrix, and the Cross represents Christ’s infinite love for us.

Beneath the monogram are the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. In accord with traditional iconography, the Sacred Heart of Jesus is surrounded with a crown of thorns; the Immaculate Heart of Mary is transpierced with a sword. Together, these two Hearts tell us of the inseparable love of Mother and Son. They also appeal to our conscience to
imitate the charity and self-sacrifice of Jesus and Mary. Charity, i.e., true love of God and neighbor, is always united to the Cross.

The Miraculous Medal is a sign of trust in Our Lady’s maternal care and protection. Although small in size, it is spiritually potent. It could even be called a prayer in medal form — its purpose to prompt us to invoke Our Lady. Our Blessed Mother herself designed this miraculous badge of her faithful children, and the Church blesses it with solemn prayer and sanctions its devout use. Our Lady promised that those who wear it will thereby receive “great graces” and many wonderful favors have been obtained for those who pray to her with confidence.

The following example, which took place in 1837, proves the power and goodness of the Blessed Virgin Mary. A religious Brother had been suffering for a long time from a bad foot which no remedy could cure. His condition grew worse from day to day. The surgeon judged that amputation had become necessary. Frightened at the prospect of this operation, the patient had recourse to prayer, but felt little relief. One night, when he was suffering more than usual, he thought of having recourse to the Miraculous Medal which he wore around his neck. He took it off and slipped the medal between the bandages that wrapped his foot, so as to make it touch the diseased part. He also recited the little prayer, “O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee!”

Immediately he felt the pain subside, so that he fell into a deep sleep, in which he continued until five o’clock in the morning. On awakening, he was surprised to find himself free from pain. He touched his foot, moved it, and stretched it, and all without suffering; the disease had totally disappeared. He ran to his superior and related the story of his miraculous cure. The religious community joined him in prayers of thanksgiving.